


Keep Holding On

by Void_w



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing
Genre: Bad Writing, Developing Friendships, Dubious Consent, Gen, Grief/Mourning, How Do I Tag, Hurt/Comfort, Minor Akamatsu Kaede/Saihara Shuichi, Out of Character
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-19
Updated: 2020-01-19
Packaged: 2021-02-27 04:48:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,284
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22301338
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Void_w/pseuds/Void_w
Summary: Even though he tries to move in from Kaede's death, Shuichi can't.
Relationships: Saihara Shuichi & Shinguji Korekiyo, Saihara Shuichi/Shinguji Korekiyo
Comments: 1
Kudos: 35





	Keep Holding On

**Author's Note:**

> The ultimate labs are going to stay open even after someone dies in this story.  
> Also, my apologies if anyone is too out of character. I'm not good at writing at all.

Shuichi blankly stared at the Grand piano in front of him. He swore he could feel Kaede's presence, as he remembered her words ringing in his ears.

"I believe in you, so you should definitely believe in yourself!" 

He clutched his chest, as tears started to swell up in his eyes. But nothing came out. Ever since Kaede's execution, he didn't feel much. The only thing he felt was the neverending void in his chest that was slowly eating away at his will to live. He felt exhausted. Completely and utterly exhausted. He felt useless. Empty. Feelings that he could never imagine. His thoughts started taking over his better judgement.

'I should join her... I'll be better off dead anyway... I'm useless anyways... There's no hope... There's no point to-'

"Shuichi? Are you alright?"

Shuichi snapped out of his thoughts as he looked at the person near the doorway.

"Uh, um. Yeah, Kiyo, why?"

Korekiyo closed the door behind him and sat next to Shuichi. 

"I've noticed strange behavior in you the past couple of days."

"What are you talking about?" Shuichi awkwardly smiled.

"Well, for one, you've been coming here a lot lately."

Now that Shuichi thinks about it, he has. He doesn't know why either.

"Two, you've abstained yourself from company, and have been neglecting your needs."

He looked down in shame.

"You've noticed, huh?"

"Well, of course. I do observe people after all."

Shuichi said nothing, he just continued looking at the floor as he started to get lost in his thoughts again. Feeling hopeless and empty. Only to be snapped back again. 

"Do you wish to talk about it?" Korekiyo turned towards Shuichi.

"Huh?"

"Do you wish to talk about your thoughts? I can tell you're getting a lot of them."

Shuichi thought for a while.

"Ah, no thanks. Besides I don't want to bother you or anything."

"It wouldn't."

"Really?"

"Kukuku, I wouldn't have suggested it if I wasn't sure, but it's entirely up to you if you are willing to talk about it." Korekiyo smiled a little through his mask, and gently touched Shuichi's hand.

"I won't force you. However, if you wish to, I'll listen."

Shuichi thought about it a little more and nodded.

"Okay..." Shuichi, without much effort, gripped Korekiyo's hand back as he started to slowly explain.

"I guess it's about Kaede... I only knew her for a little while, but it feels like I'd known her for years. She believed in me. She trusted me, and I trusted her, but it's my fault she's gone." Shuichi stood up and started slowly pacing. 

"I found the truth, and she got executed. It's all my fault. I lost her, and it's all my fault. She wouldn't want me to blame myself, but I can't stop thinking that it's my fault. Even without that. I just miss her. She gave me hope. No matter how much I try to move on, I just can't. I guess that's why I always end up here..." Shuichi's hands started to shake.

"I come in here to think... I think about how everything would've gone if we weren't stuck here... If we were to have escaped this place. If Rantaro and Kaede were still with us." He starts to tremble even more.

"I- I just want to be where she is! I-im better off dead anyways...! I just want to-"

He stopped talking out of shocked as he was pulled into an embrace. Korekiyo held Shuichi close to him in a comfortable embrace. Shuichi's eyes went wide as he found himself doing something he wasn't able to do for the longest time. He stared to cry. His legs gave out on him. Korekiyo catches Shuichi and sits on the floor with him, all while still hugging him. Shuichi tries to hug back but to no avail as he starts to breakdown. Korekiyo holds Shuichi a little tighter, letting Shuichi burry his head into his shoulder. Stroking his hair and rubbing circles into his back to soothe him down a little. 

Neither of them said a word, but the room was filled with Shuichi's pain filled sobs and desperate gasps for air.

"Shuichi... You need to breathe. Take a deep breath in for me." Korekiyo says quietly.

Shuichi tries to do as he was told and takes a deep breath. 

"That's it. Inhale... Exhale... Inhale... Exhale... You're doing well, Shuichi."

They repeat this pattern until he stops hyperventilating. Shuichi calms down a little, but is still crying. Korekiyo goes back to console him, whispering things in a quiet voice from time to time.

"Everything will be alright, Shuichi." 

Shuichi almost falls asleep, now knowing how exhausted he really is. 

"How do I stop hurting, Kiyo?" He asked in a broken voice. 

"One does not stop hurting immediately. It is a process. It will hurt, but that's just a part of the process you see." Korekiyo holds Shuichi's hand again. "But I promise you that the pain will ease. Also, you don't have to go through it alone either." Shuichi gives a small, weak smile. "Thanks Kiyo. For everything. I just don't know what to do now..." "I think I know." Shuichi looked up at Korekiyo in confusion as he wiped away his tears. "How would you like to learn how to play the piano?" "What do you mean?" "One way that I believe could help you is by doing something she was passionate about. She was the Ultimate Pianist, correct? I have no doubt in my mind that she would've tried to teach you piano at some point. Perhaps learning it can help you cope." "I guess you're right, but how am I going to learn?" "Simple. I'll teach you." Korekiyo stated helping Shuichi off the ground. "You know how to play the piano?" "Only the basics and certain songs, but yes. I know how to play a lot of instruments." "Okay then, can we start now? Just a short lesson?.." Shuichi shyly asked. "If that's what you want, then of course. Afterwards, you should get some rest. You're probably fatigued." Shuichi let out a yawn. "Yeah..." Korekiyo walks over to the new, shiny piano and sits down, patting the space next to him, and Shuichi sits down next to him. "Hm, where to start." Korekiyo thought for a while. "That's it. So for our first couple of sessions we'll go over notes, getting you familiar with the keys, practicing scales, timing, all of that. Does that sound alright to you?" Shuichi nodded. "Oh, hey, Kiyo?" "Hm?" "Thank you... For helping me. I didn't know I needed that." "Of course. If you ever need to talk again, or anything like that; I'll be there. Even if it's three in the morning, just knock on my door." Shuichi smiled and quickly hugged Korekiyo. Korekiyo looked shocked but hugged back. "Shall we get started then?" "Yeah." They looked at each other and nodded. For the rest of the time until six o'clock, Korekiyo taught Shuichi a little bit about music theory, etc. Once they finished, they had dinner together. Shuichi finally ate something after a couple of days. He made a promise to try to take care of himself more and not neglect his needs. With that him and Korekiyo went their separate ways. He opened his dorm door, locked it, and flopped down on the bed. He curled up in the blankets and let out a comfortable, yet exhausted sigh. He feels a lot better now that he talked about it. If course he's still depressed about it all, but at least he's not letting himself rot; he thinks to himself as he drifts off to sleep feeling the emptiness disappear a little.


End file.
